Handover between mobile communication networks

ABSTRACT

The invention provides a method of handover from an active network to a selected one of a plurality of potential other networks. In addition to the overall solution, the solution proposed has several individual aspects. All subsidiary aspects are related to the common problem mentioned above and sharing the underlying common solution concept of implementing a system in which selective handover is possible and in which a list of available other networks provided by an active network can be handled and selection made by a terminal, so that neighbor cell information can be transmitted based on expressed terminal preferences.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation application of U.S. Ser. No.11/420,327, filed on Apr. 24, 2006 which application is a divisionalapplication of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/589,217 filed on Jun.7, 2000. The entire contents of each of the aforementioned U.S.Applications are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is concerned with handover of a call betweenmobile communication networks. The present invention is particularlyconcerned with handover between UMTS networks and GSM networks but isalso applicable to handover between different GSM networks and differentcellular mobile communication networks generally.

2. Description of the Related Art

In current GSM systems, it is possible for a user to select manuallyamong a plurality of available GSM networks when a mobile device (UserEquipment) is off line. It is also possible for the User Equipment toselect a network automatically from among the available networks basedon preference stored in the User Equipment, normally in the SIM card.However, when a call is in progress, this selection is not possible. Inthe present specification, the term User Equipment is intended toencompass any equipment capable of communicating with a network; thiswill typically be a mobile telephone, but may be, for example, adedicated data, facsimile, e-mail or video communication device orcombination device.

During call progress, the majority of the User Equipment's radioresource are involved in the active call and so it is not possible toscan broadly for available networks. To enable a mobile device to movebetween cells, while a call is in progress, the network supplies alimited list of adjacent cells, normally confined to cells provided bythe same network provider and permits the mobile device to make limitedinvestigation of signal strength from the neighboring cells. In theevent that the mobile device finds a stronger signal from another cell,it can signal a change to the other cell.

According to above prior method, it is not impossible to hand overbetween mobile communication networks while call is in progress.

It has been appreciated that it would be desirable to enable UserEquipment to select a preferred one of a plurality of available networkswhile a call is in progress. This would be particularly beneficial whenhanding over from a UMTS network to a selected GSM network’, but wouldalso be useful, particularly when traveling outside the User Equipment'shome network territory, to enable handover between preferred “foreign”networks.

It has been appreciated that, although this is not normally done, itwould be possible for an active network to supply a list of cells notonly belonging to the active network, but also including cells of othernetwork providers. This potentially offers a solution to the problemmentioned above, and may be provided independently in an aspect of theinvention.

However, to implement the system, the network provider would have tosupply a significant amount of information concerning other networkproviders' cells. Therefore, the above mentioned potential solution hasthe attendant problem that the list of available cells may become toolarge in practical terms for the User Equipment to investigate during anactive call, and this may degrade performance of the network. Thissolution may therefore be undesirable for many network providers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention is to provide a method capableof handing over between mobile communication networks while call is inprogress.

Pursuant to the invention, an improved solution has been proposed.According to the first main aspect of the invention, the inventionprovides a method of facilitating handover from an active network withwhich User Equipment is in communication to another network. Accordingto the present invention, the active network provides a list ofavailable other networks to the User Equipment. User Equipment selectsamong the available networks based on preference information and signalsto the active network at least one preferred other network. The activenetwork provides neighbor cell information for the at least onepreferred other network to the User Equipment.

In this way, the User Equipment may signal a preferred network to theactive network and then the active network may transmit cell informationfor only the preferred network(s) to that User Equipment.

The preference information may be stored in the User Equipment,preferably in the SIM card. The preference information may include alist of networks which are “black listed” with which the User Equipmentis not able to connect. The preference information may also include alist of networks which are “white listed” with which communication ispreferred. The white list may include partner networks of the homenetwork provider. The preference information may include an explicit“gray list” of networks which are to be tried in the absence of a “whitelisted” network; alternatively, networks which are not explicitly in thewhite list or black list may be deemed to be in the gray list. Multiplelevels of preference may be stored. Preferably, the method includesstoring in the User Equipment a list of available networks based oninformation supplied by the active network. This feature, usinginformation supplied by a network rather than that obtained by a(relatively lengthy) search performed by the User Equipment, offersadvantages.

The method may include incrementally adding to or deleting from the listof available networks stored in the User Equipment. This feature avoidsthe need to re-transmit a complete list, thereby allowing shortermessages to be used.

Using the invention, it becomes possible for a network to send differentneighbor cell information to different terminals (User Equipment), basedon preferences expressed by the terminals and not sole dependent on thearea in which the terminals are located.

The signaling of available networks by an active network provides aterminal with information concerning available networks without theterminal having to search.

The signaling by a terminal to an active network with which the terminalis in communication of a preferred (other) network provides usefulinformation to the active network.

The invention extends to methods of operating terminals and to methodsof operating networks, terminals and network for implementing any theabove aspects.

In a first preferred implementation, the active network is a UMTSnetwork and the list of available networks comprises a list of availableGSM networks. This implementation facilitates handover from UMTS to aselected GSM network.

In a second implementation, the active network is a GSM network (or aUMTS network) provided by an active network provider and the list ofavailable networks comprises a list of other GSM networks (or UMTSnetworks) provided by other network providers. This facilitates handoverwithin a communication system between network providers.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will become apparent from the following description withreference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate examples of thepresent invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing a processing of the first embodimentaccording to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example.

By way of explanation, we will describe in general terms, the elementsof a practical implementation of a handover system embodying several ofthe above aspects and advantageous features. The following applies toboth handover between networks of a similar type (e.g. GSM) belonging todifferent network providers, or between networks—of differing types(e.g. UMTS to GSM), unless otherwise stated. Indeed, in certainapplications it may be possible to select between multiple networks ofmultiple types, for example GSM 900, GSM 1900, UMTS and local coveragenetworks.

Features of User Equipment

In addition to “standard” user equipment features, for communicatingwith the networks between which handover is to be performed (for a UMTSto GSM handover, this requires a dual mode terminal), the user equipmentshould ideally have the following components:—

A store for a list of network preferences.

This may be based on an existing store, preferably in the SIM card(which term as used in this specification is intended to encompass anyremovable device which is used to configure a standard handset), andwill normally be at least partially pre-programmed by the home networkprovider. The equipment may be configured to allow the user to edit atleast part of this list, for example by adding networks or modifyingpreference levels.

In particular, where a network provider has two or more partner networksin a given (foreign) country and the charges vary (either permanently orfrom time to time) between networks, the user (or the network provider)may update the preference list so that the cheaper network is alwayspreferred. The preference list may simply be binary, 0 for never use(“blacklisted”), 1 for use if possible (“white listed”), unlistednetworks being used if a network annotated 1 is not found.Alternatively, multiple levels may be stored; this facilitatesdifferentiation on the basis of pricing. If multiple levels are used,the home network may be given a unique, highest, preference. If only twoor a few levels are provided, the home network may nonetheless bespecifically marked, if desired. Although it is greatly preferred tostore the preferences, the user may be prompted to select allalternative network on demand; this will normally be inconvenient duringa voice call, but may be more acceptable in a data communicationapplication. The order in which the networks are listed may or may notbe significant; if it is, even in a binary system, the order of networkswithin the stored list may be used to designate preference and all whitelisted networks may be ranked in order. Thus, in the selecting step, theUser Equipment may be arranged to find the first white listed availablenetwork.

Means for Receiving and Interpreting a Message Specifying AvailableNetworks.

The User Equipment must be able to interpret a special message sentduring an active call from the active network listing possible handovernetworks. This may be based on existing facilities for interpretingmessages during a call, the special message being identified by aspecial prefix or identifier agreed with the network. It is to be notedthat it may only be possible to perform preferential handover fromcertain networks but not others, particularly where certain networks arenot configured to provide special messages identifying neighboringnetworks. For example, in the case of UMTS to GSM handover, the UMTSnetwork may be arranged to provide a list of candidate GSM networks,but, when attempting to hand back to UMTS from a GSM network, or whenattempting to hand over between at least certain GSM networks, this maynot be possible as the GSM network(s) may not be adapted to providelists of candidate networks.

Means for Maintaining List of Available Networks.

Preferably, the User Equipment is able, in addition to (or instead of)receiving a complete list of available networks, to receive andinterpret messages specifying incremental addition or deletion ofnetworks from the current list of available networks. In this way, acomplete list of available networks may be built up in the UserEquipment by a series of “ADD” messages, rather than by transmitting acomplete list. This feature is particularly desirable in regions wherethere are a number of networks from which to choose and the availabilityof each network changes from place to place frequently, as it avoids theneed to re-transmit a long list each time one network becomes or ceasesto be available.

Means for Requesting a List of Available Networks.

The network may be arranged to transmit available network informationregularly or when the network determines that handover is desirable (forexample when the received signal becomes weak). However, preferably, theUser Equipment is able specifically to request this information; thismay be achieved in a similar manner to the conventional manner for UserEquipment to send a handover, but using a message identifier agreed withthe network as signifying a request for available networks.

Means for Comparing the List of Available Networks to the List ofPreferences and Selecting a Network.

This may be achieved simply by searching for each available network inthe list of preferences and returning the one (or top several) with thehighest preference. Where more than one available network has an equaltop preference, the User Equipment may select several in turn and then,following receipt of radio cell information, select the network with thestrongest signal. Alternatively, other criteria may be provided.

Means for Signalling the Preferred Network.

This may be achieved simply by sending a message with an identifieragreed with the network to signify a network selection.

Thereafter, the network would supply neighbor cell information for theselected network(s) in a similar manner to that presently used to enablecell-to-cell handover and the User Equipment would treat this cellinformation (radio frequencies, time slots codes, etc.) in the same wayto find the most suitable handover candidate.

Features of Network

In addition to “standard” network parameters, a network should implementthe following features:—

-   -   Store of list of available other networks.

This list varies from point to point, so it is conveniently stored ateach base station or radio access point. This may be based on storedinformation, obtained either based on knowledge of other networks in thearea and predicted coverage, or based on empirical data, for exampleobtained by scanning for radio coverage throughout the region covered bya cell, or by fixed receivers located at the access point andsurrounding access points. Normally the network will not know theposition of the User Equipment to much better than 1 cell accuracy(although, by triangulation from other cells in the network, accuratepositioning is possible; alternatively, a rough idea of direction withinthe cell may be obtained), so the list of potentially available networksmay include all networks receivable at any point within the cell. If thelist omits certain networks which are in fact available, then handoverto those networks will not be possible, so it is desirable to includemore rather than fewer in the list. However, where too many networks areincluded, efficiency will be degraded, as the User Equipment may beinstructed to search for an “available” network which is in fact notavailable. It may be possible to update the list dynamically, based oninformation returned from User Equipment concerning availability ofnetworks.

For each available network, corresponding neighbor cell information(frequencies, time slots etc.) should be stored.

The network is configured to send and respond to messages describedabove in relation to the User Equipment. Thus, in a practical example,processing steps and exchange of messages are shown in FIG. 1.

At step 101, User Equipment determines handover required and requestavailable networks. At step 102, the active network looks up list ofavailable networks and transmits the list to the User Equipment. At step103, User Equipment compares the list to preferences, selects preferrednetwork and signals the preferred network to the active network. At step104, the active network looks up cell information for preferred networkand signals neighbor cell information to the User Equipment. At step105, the User Equipment searches for cell availability, determines celland network and signals handover to specific cell. Finally, at step 106,handover to new network is implemented.

2nd Embodiment

The first embodiment above deals with transmission of a complete list ofavailable networks in response to a specific request. The followingsecond embodiment deals in particular with incremental updating of thelist of available networks, and these details may be used in othercontexts (not only in the UMTS to GSM handover case in which it isexplained), for example in GSM to GSM handover.

Application to UMTS to GSM Handover

Three novel signaling procedures arc proposed as below. All theseprocedures rely on local interaction between the dual mode terminal andthe UTRAN, with no involvement of the VLR or core network.

We will assume that while a dual mode terminal has a call in progress,it maintains a list of potential GSM handover candidates {G1, G2, G3, .. . } (which may contain no entries if no potential GSM handovercandidate is available). At any time it also has a preferred candidateGpref which is a member of {G1, G2, G3, . . . }. This proposal describessignalling means whereby this list is maintained.

Signalling the Availability of Candidate GSM Networks

At any time during a call the serving UMTS network U can signal to thedual mode terminal the identity of one or more GSM network that areavailable, {Gi.} for potential handover. This signal contains the uniquenetwork identifier of each potential GSM network. This message wouldtypically be used when the terminal first enters the coverage area of apotential candidate GSM network while a call is active, or sets up acall while within its coverage area,

The terminal records the identity of the GSM networks, and compare itwith internally stored information (for example a network preferencelist stored on the SIM and the identity of other available GSM networkspreviously signalled to it) and signals its preference Gpref back to theserving network, if it can identify a suitable network.

After this the serving network provides neighbor cell informationrelating to network Gpref until such time as the call ends, the terminalleaves the network or the terminal indicates a new value of Gpref.

Signalling the Non-Availability of an Existing Candidate GSM Network

When the terminal leaves the coverage area of a potential candidate GSMnetwork during a call, the serving radio network U can signal to theterminal at any time the identity of GSM networks, {Gi.} that are nowunavailable. This signal contains the unique network identifier of theGSM network which is no longer available.

The terminal can note that this GSM network is no longer available, andusing internally, stored information (for example a network preferencelist stored on the SIM and the identity of remaining available GSMnetworks) signals its preference Gpref back to the serving network, if asuitable network is identified.

After this the serving network provides neighbor cell informationrelating to network Gpref until such time as the call ends, the terminalleaves the network or the terminal indicates a new value of Gpref.

Terminal Network Preference

At any time the terminal can signal a new preference Gpref back to theserving network, which would be chosen from the list of availablenetworks. After this the serving network provides neighbor cellinformation relating to network Gpref until such time as the call ends,the terminal leaves the network or the terminal indicates a new value ofGpref.

Typically this signal would be sent if the list of available GSM networkchanged in such a way that the preferred network needed to bere-evaluated.

In the above described second embodiment, the mobile device always has apreferred other network stored and is therefore regularly updated withneighbor cell information for that preferred network. This isparticularly useful in the case of a dual mode terminal (the case ofUMTS, to GSM handover being one example, GSM 900 to GSM 1900 beinganother example) where the “unused” mode components can be kept up datedand ready to change as soon as required.

To summarize, the above embodiments provide the following novelfeatures, each of which may be independently provided:—

-   -   The signalling of available GSM candidate network information.    -   The maintenance in the terminal of a list of available networks.    -   The possibility of incremental addition and deletion of elements        of that list.    -   The ability of the terminal to indicate the preferred network.    -   The ability to send selective neighbor cell information to        different dual mode terminals, so that different terminals        within the same area may receive different neighbor cell        information.

While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been describedusing specific terms, such description is for illustrative purposesonly, and it is to be understood that changes and variations may be madewithout departing from the spirit or scope of the following claims.

1. User equipment for a mobile communication network comprising: meansfor receiving a first message from a current active mobile communicationnetwork while a call is in progress, said first message including afirst list of a plurality of network identifiers corresponding to aplurality of available networks for a potential handover; means forcomparing the first list with a second list which includes at least anetwork identifier and is stored in the user equipment; means forselecting one network of the plurality of available networks to whichthe user equipment hands over based on the comparing the first list andthe second list; means for storing the first list; and means forreceiving a second message specifying deletion of network identifiers inthe stored first list wherein said current active communication networksignals the plurality of network identifiers corresponding to theplurality of available networks for the potential handover, and saidreceiving of said first and second messages occur without said userequipment searching said mobile communication network.
 2. A mobilecommunication network with which user equipment is connected orcomponent thereof, comprising: means for providing a first messageincluding a first list including a plurality of network identifierscorresponding to a plurality of available networks for potentialhandover to the user equipment, the first list being compared with asecond list which includes at least a network identifier and is storedin the user equipment, and the first list being stored in the userequipment; means for selecting one network of the plurality of availablenetworks to which the user equipment hands over based on the comparingthe first list and the second list; and means for providing a secondmessage specifying deletion of network identifiers in the stored firstlist in the user equipment while a call is in progress, wherein ancurrent active communication network signals the plurality of networkidentifiers corresponding to the plurality of available networks for thepotential handover, and said providing of said first and second messagesoccur without said user equipment searching said mobile communicationnetwork.
 3. A method for user equipment handover from a current activenetwork with which user equipment is in communication to another networkcomprising: receiving a first message at the user equipment from thecurrent active network while a call is in progress, said first messageincluding a first list of a plurality of network identifierscorresponding to a plurality of available networks for a potentialhandover; comparing the first list with a second list which includes atleast a network identifier and is stored in the user equipment; storingthe first list at the user equipment; selecting one network of theplurality of available networks to which the user equipment hands overbased on the comparing the first list and the second list; and receivinga second message at the user equipment, said second message specifyingdeletion of network identifiers in the stored first list, wherein saidcurrent active network signals the plurality of network identifierscorresponding to the plurality of available networks for the potentialhandover, and said first and second messages occur without said userequipment searching any network.